Frit. imperialis

[mark smyth]

It's been many yers since I bought, grew and failed with Frit imperialis.

I could smell them in a local garden centre today but I resisted. Now I'm itching to try them again.

Is there a guaranteed way to grow them in the open garden?

Gritty soil or humus rich soil?
Upright or on their sides

[PeterT]

well drained works for me, they MUST have lime. I have them in a cool position where they never flower, A hot dry position next to Eremurus himalayicus which also flowers well (better than the frit) there. I give extra water and growmore to this spot in spring there is plenty of lime rubble here. Also in the west of scotland finally achieved a flower (for the second time in ten years) in a well drained cool position with some sun, by annual dressings of lime and fertiliser. I flower eduardii and raddeana in large pots with a 50 / 50 mix of JI 3 and fine grit + extra bone meal and dolomitic lime and a little peat or leaf mould in the mix. they like the pots to be plunged or kept cool.

[bulborum]

Mark

be sure they have roots when you buy them
without white or creamy roots they are many times dead
and plant them deep 20 cm soil above the bulb

Roland

[mark smyth]

I have lime stone sand would this do?

thanks for the advise

[Brian Ellis]

Feed, feed, feed.  Dad used to grow them and always put loads of manure on them.

[bulborum]

Sorry forgot that

Brian is right

My grandfather always said
They love to swim in the shit 

Roland

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I have a large clump !
When I leave them in the ground all through the year I get little or no flowers... no matter how much fertilizer I give them.. 

If I dig them up when the leaves have shriveled and keep 'em dry in a paper bag in the shed, all through the summer and replant them in late August (when the roots start growing again) in well fertilized soil.... they flower like mad !!! 

For me, it's the dry summer that does the trick !!

[David Nicholson]

I read somewhere that the bulbs are best planted on their sides

[bulborum]

David

Forget this as soon as possible
we call this a fairytale
If you want I explain you where the story comes from

Roland

[David Nicholson]

David

Forget this as soon as possible
we call this a fairytale
If you want I explain you where the story comes from

Roland

OK Roland

[David Pilling]

But, Don Montague, expounded the theory about planting on their sides on TV only last week.

[bulborum]

For buying Fritillaria imperialis bulbs
always if you are not sure
buy bulbs with roots like picture 3
the first two pictures are probably good bulbs
but picture 3 is sure a good one

Roland

[mark smyth]

He did and I thought the bulb will eventually move back to the correct position.

[bulborum]

Other David

If you believe a fairytale
keep dreaming
if I start calling you John
and 2000 other people start calling you John
will not say your name is John

Roland

[mark smyth]

Luc I am jealous already. Tomorrow I must go and see what I can find

Maggi, how does Ian grow his?

Harold McBrides do fantastic in very deep leaf mould.